Joe Maloney’s 800-meter run record lasted one week.
Friday, he broke it again. This time, he got a state title and a gold medal to go with it.
Maloney’s 1-minute, 54.61-second race beat his own Durango High School record by two-tenths of a second and beat Thompson Valley’s Daniel Lara’s time by even less to win Maloney an individual state tile at the CHSAA Class 4A Track and Field State Championships on Friday in Lakewood.
Maloney led for the first 400 meters, DHS head coach David McMillan said, then Lara slipped passed him on the halfway turn. With 180 meters left, Maloney made a big move for the final sprint.
“It looked like they were running in mud,” McMillan said. “They were neck and neck, and Joe managed to hold him off by a few strides.”
Lara finished in 1:54.75.
“It’s awesome,” Maloney said last week after breaking Rex Johnson’s 26-year-old mark. “It’s the best feeling, that feeling of ‘I’ve finally got my goal,’ or one of them really.”
Make that two goals down now, with one more to go. Maloney, a senior, also hopes to break the 1,600 school record today.
Four DHS girls have an excellent shot to join him on the highest podium after setting another DHS school record.
The DHS 4x400-meter relay team of Miranda Gallegos, Hannah Hwang, Shannon Maloney and Dominique Ward took the top qualifying time in Friday’s preliminary race, topping the field in 3:58.62 – a record-breaking time.
Niwot was second in 3:58.7 heading into today’s final.
“So we’re just looking for a great race (today),” McMillan said. “We should be in the thick of things.”
The boys team of Joe Maloney, Shane Bisogno, Devin Lewis and David Moening also will see the finals after taking seventh in qualifying in 3:23.64, their fastest of the year.
Shannon Maloney, Joe Maloney’s sophomore sister, also was the girls’ top finisher in the open 800 on Friday, taking 10th in 2:18.01. Ward took 17th in 2:21.65 for DHS.
Gabi Razma, who took third in the triple jump Thursday, finished eighth in the long jump, jumping 16 feet, 9.5 inches Friday.
“Really consistent,” McMillan said. “All of her jumps were really good together. She didn’t panic when she didn’t hit her biggest jump of the year ... so we’re really proud of her.”
The state meet will wrap up today with the Demons looking for podium finishes in their relay events, from the Maloney siblings in the 1,600 and from pole vaulters Justin Marcum and Mckenzie Marciante.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
Class 4A
CHSAA State Championships
Note: Day 2 of the three-day state meet Friday at Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood.
Boys
Team Scores: Coronado 35; Cheyenne Mountain 34; Vista Ridge 34; Thompson Valley 19; Durango 18; Valor Christian 16; Niwot 16; Pueblo South 15; Mountain View 14; Broomfield 13; Sand Creek 13; Palmer Ridge 12; Discovery Canyon 11; Falcon 11; Longmont 9; Wheat Ridge 8; Mesa Ridge 8; Widefield 8; Pueblo West 8; Conifer 7; Silver Creek 7; Centaurus 7; Denver South 6; Mullen 5; Pueblo East 5; Sierra 5; Eagle Valley 4; Ft. Morgan 4; Erie 3; Vista Peak 3; Weld Central 2; Evergreen 2; Delta 2; Greeley Central 2; Woodland Park 1; Skyline 1.
Girls
Team Scores: Pueblo South 48; Niwot 37; Sand Creek 25; Berthoud 21.5; Cheyenne Mountain 20; Delta 18; Thompson Valley 17.5; Air Academy 15.5; Coronado 14; Harrison 14; Palmer Ridge 12; Durango 12; Eagle Valley 11; Erie 10; Lewis-Palmer 10; Centaurus 10; Discovery Canyon 9; Ponderosa 8.5; Woodland Park 8; Mountain View 8; Rifle 8; Palisade 8; Broomfield 8; Battle Mountain 7; Skyline 7; Widefield 6; Golden 6; Valor Christian 5; Ft. Morgan 5; Montrose 5; Mesa Ridge 5; Greeley Central 3.5; Glenwood Springs 3; Pueblo East 3; Silver Creek 2.5; Pueblo West 2; D’Evelyn 1.
